Passion flower 71.4mg tablets

Tendrils of climbing plants possess a striking spring-like structure characterized by a minimum of two helices of opposite handedness connected by a perversion. By performing tensile experiments and morphological measurements on tendrils of the climbing passion flower Passiflora discophora, we show that these tendril springs act as coil springs within the plant's attachment system and resemble technical coil springs. However, tendril springs have a low spring index and a high pitch angle compared with typical metal coil springs resulting in a more complex loading situation in the plant tendrils. Moreover, the tendrils undergo a drastic shift from the fresh turgescent stage to a dried-off and dead senescent stage. This entails changes in material properties (elastic modulus in tension), morphology (tendril and helix diameter, number of windings), anatomy (tissue composition), and failure behavior (susceptibility to delamination) and reduces the degree of elasticity and strain at failure of the tendrils. Nevertheless, senescent tendrils remain functional as springs and maintain high energy dissipation capacity and high break force. This renders the system highly energy efficient, as the plant no longer needs to metabolically sustain the died-back tendrils. Because of its energy-storing spring system, its high energy dissipation and high safety factor, the attachment system can be considered a 'fail-safe' system. STATEMENT OF SIGNIFICANCE: The use of coil springs as mechanical devices is not restricted to man-made machinery; striking spring structures can also be found within the attachment systems of climbing plants. Passiflora discophora climbs by using long thin tendrils with adhesive pads at their tips. Once the pads have attached to a support, the tendrils coil and form a spring-like structure. Here, we analyze the form and mechanics of these 'tendril springs', compare them with conventional technical coil springs, and discuss changes in the tendril springs during plant development. We reveal the main features of the attachment system, which might inspire new artificial attachment devices within the emerging field of plant-inspired soft-robotics.

Abstract licence: CC BY

Passion fruit (<italic>Passiflora edulis</italic>) is an economically valuable tropical fruit crop renowned for its nutritious juice, aromatic fragrance, and vibrant flowers with distinct floral structure, known as corona. These unique floral features make passion fruit a good candidate for the study of floral organogenesis. MADS-box genes play essential functions in various aspects of plant growth and development, especially for floral morphogenesis. However, a comprehensive investigation of MADS-box gene family members in passion fruit has not yet been conducted. Here, 52 MADS-box genes were identified in passion fruit genome and classified into two types with five subgroups (type I: Mα, Mβ, Mγ; type II: MIKC^C, MIKC*) based on phylogeny. The notable reduction in the abundance of type I MADS-box genes within the passion fruit genome, in contrast to Arabidopsis, is postulated to be a contributing factor to the diminished gene number within this gene family. The structural analysis illustrated that PeMADS proteins within the same subfamily are relatively conserved. Moreover, we proposed the putative flower regulation ABC(D)E model of passion fruit and explored the regulatory genes of the characteristic structure corona. We found that the regulation of petals and stamens in passion fruit is similar to that of Arabidopsis, but differs in terms of carpels and sepals. The distinct coronas were predominately controlled by B-, C(D)- and E-class genes, supporting the speculation that the corona might have originated from stamens. Except for the core functions in floral the meristem, many <italic>PeMADS</italic> genes were also involved in the development regulation of non-floral tissues and/or in phytohormone and stress responses. The co-presence of diverse cis-regulatory elements associated with growth/developmental regulation, phytohormone and stress responses in the promoter regions of <italic>PeMADSs</italic> might be closely related to their diverse regulatory roles. The results of this study provide valuable insights into the MADS-box genes in passion fruit and their involvement in the development of floral structure. These discoveries lay the foundation for the cultivation of exceptional ornamental varieties of passion fruit.

Abstract licence: CC BY

Passiflora foetida is a climbing vine, native to the Neotropical Region that is causing major economic and ecological damage in Australia, where it is rapidly spreading. Traditional control options, such as cutting, manual uprooting, and herbicide applications are only effective for local management. Currently, the plant bug Engytatus passionarius is the most promising biological control agent. Specificity tests performed in its native range in Argentina suggest it is highly specific to the plant, and it has not been observed in the field associated with other plants. As climate determines the establishment of insects, knowing if the environmental conditions suit their requirements is key to introducing a species in a region. Also, an overlap between the climatic niches of species is an indicator of similar requirements. To explore the possibilities of a successful establishment of E. passionarius in Australia, ecological niche models (ENM) were built for the plant bug and for the vine and their overlap was measured. The ENM projected to Australia recognized suitable environmental conditions for the establishment of E. passionarius in several regions where P. foetida is present, both for current and future scenarios. Moreover, the niche of the plant bug is almost completely overlapped with that of the vine. All the aforementioned evidence seems to indicate that E. passionarius has a good chance to become an effective biological control agent of P. foetida.

Abstract licence: CC BY-NC-ND

Floral coloration in Freesia hybrida is predominantly attributed to anthocyanins, with glycosylation playing a critical role in their stability and diversity. This study investigates the molecular mechanisms underlying color variation between F. hybrida cultivars, focusing on anthocyanin 5-O-glucosyltransferases (An5GTs). HPLC analysis revealed that ‘Pink Passion’ petals accumulate 3,5-O-diglucosidic anthocyanins, absent in ‘Red River®’ and ‘Ambiance’. RNA-seq identified seven candidate Fh5GT genes, with phylogenetic and subcellular localization analyses confirming their classification as cytosolic glycosyltransferases. Expression profiling highlighted elevated transcript levels of Fh5GT1, Fh5GT3, and Fh5GT7 in ‘Pink Passion’, correlating with its di-glucosidic anthocyanin accumulation. In vitro enzymatic assays demonstrated that Fh5GT3 and Fh5GT7 preferentially glucosylate 3-O-monoglucosidic anthocyanins to form stable 3,5-O-diglucosides, with minimal activity on anthocyanidins to generate 5-O-glucosidic anthocyanins. Heterologous expression of Fh5GT3 and Fh5GT7 in Arabidopsis complemented anthocyanin deficiency in 5gt mutants, restoring pigmentation. These findings elucidate the potential role of 5GTs in modulating floral color diversity through anthocyanin modification, providing insights for targeted breeding strategies to enhance ornamental traits in horticultural species.

Abstract licence: CC BY

Abstract: In Brazil, stinking passion flower (Passiflora foetida L.) is exploited as a rootstock for the commercial planting of passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims) and also planted for medicinal purposes. Its use as a rootstock is justified by its resistance to Fusarium solani and F. oxysporum f. sp. passiflorae. However, is susceptible to the reniform nematode (Rotylenchulus reniformis) and possible to the Southern root-knot nematode (Meloidogyne incognita). This deserves attention, as plant resistance to diseases caused by soil fungi is often compromised when the roots of these plants are infected by nematodes. The objective of this research was to evaluate the effect of M. incognita on P. foetida. Two trials were carried out in a glasshouse. The first trial comprised three treatments: T1: non-inoculated control; T2: 1,600 M. incognita specimens per plant; T3: 8,000 specimens. For the second trial T2: 5,500; T3: 22,500. Both trials were evaluated 56 days after inoculation. The results showed difference between the inoculated plants and control for the following variables: root weight, vine length, nematodes per gram of roots and reproduction rate. It was concluded that P. foetida is susceptible to M. incognita and infested crop fields should be managed before planting P. foetida.

Abstract licence: CC BY

Passiflora edulis f. flavicarpa, commonly known as yellow passion fruit, is a tropical species of great economic and nutritional value due to its high content of vitamins, minerals, antioxidants, and bioactive compounds. Although work has been done in Colombia to identify and characterize the germplasm of this species, there is still no improved genetic material adapted to the main producing municipalities. The objective of this study was to agromorphologically characterize yellow passion fruit cultivars in Miraflores, Boyacá, to identify promising genotypes using 20 qualitative and 26 quantitative descriptors evaluated in leaf, stem, flower, and fruit. Descriptive, multivariate, cluster, and mixed analyses were performed. A selection index was used to identify superior genotypes. The results showed that fruit weight had the highest coefficient of variation (65.60%), followed by petal length (45.67%). Positive and significant correlations were observed between peel weight, peel thickness, and equatorial and longitudinal fruit diameters, as well as between pulp weight, juice weight, and seed number. High phenotypic segregation was found for the traits of fruit color, shape, and the presence of pigments. Mixed multivariate analyses showed that fruit-associated characteristics, such as the presence or absence of pigments, contribute most to the observed variation. The selection index allowed the selection of cultivars 17 (241.19 g) and 18 (239.50 g) as promising genotypes within genetic improvement programs for the species.

Abstract licence: CC BY

Gloriosa superba ‘Passion Flame’ (flame lily) is a distinctive ornamental plant characterized by its striking floral structure and vivid coloration. During flower development, flame lily tepals undergo a pronounced color transition from green at the bud stage to bright red with a yellow base at maturity, providing an excellent system for studying flower pigmentation in monocots. Here, we applied a multi-omics approach to examine metabolite accumulation and gene expression dynamics across four stages of flower development. Metabolomic profiling identified 240 flavonoids and four anthocyanins, among which pelargonidin-3-O-glucoside showed the highest relative abundance among red pigmentation. Transcriptome analysis revealed that seven key anthocyanin structural genes showed strong correlations with anthocyanin accumulation. In parallel, several chlorophyll degradation genes, including GsSGR and GsPPH, were upregulated during tepal maturation, suggesting transcriptional activation of chlorophyll degradation pathways concurrent with pigment accumulation. Co-expression network analysis further identified GsMYB75 and GsMYB114 as temporally distinct regulators associated with anthocyanin biosynthesis, acting together with bHLH, NAC, and AP2/ERF transcription factors. This study provides new insights into the pigment regulation in G. superba ‘Passion Flame’ and offers candidate regulatory components for future functional studies and the improvement of ornamental traits in monocotyledonous plants.

Abstract licence: CC BY

The study was carried out during 2021–22 and 2022–23 at Mizoram University, Aizawl, Mizoram to assess the impact of flower and fruit thinning and growth regulating chemicals on yield attributing characters, yield, and quality of purple passion fruit (Passiflora edulis Sims.). The experiment was laid out in randomized block design (RBD) with 14 treatments, viz. T1, Control; T2, Flower thinning; T3, Manual fruit thinning; T4, GA3; T5, ethephon; T6, Forchlorfenuron (CPPU); T7, Flower thinning + GA3; T8, Flower thinning + ethephon; T9, Flower thinning + CPPU; T10, Flower thinning + GA3 + ethephon + CPPU; T11, Manual fruit thinning + GA3; T12, Manual fruit thinning + ethephon; T13, Manual fruit thinning + CPPU; T14, Manual fruit thinning + GA3 + ethephon + CPPU. The results indicated that crop regulation with manual fruit thinning + GA3 + ethephon + CPPU (T14) was the most effective in terms of highest fruit set percentage (58.92%), minimum fruit drop (38.22%), maximum yield/vine (10.52 kg), fruit weight (56.60 g), TSS (15.85°Brix), total reducing and non-reducing sugars (11.53, 8.80, 2.59%), ascorbic acid (35.56 and 36.93 mg/100 g), carotenoid (3.32 mg/100 g), and total phenols (23.16 mg GAE/100 g). This study recommends that treatment involving manual fruit thinning + GA3 + ethephon + CPPU is considered as best crop regulating technique in commercial passion fruit cultivation to improve yield and fruit quality.

Abstract licence: CC BY-NC-SA